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To: Claire Mann

Stop the cuts on South Western Railway

RMT Union is calling on the Government to intervene and stop South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail from cutting huge swathes of rail services and ultimately jobs across the SWR network.

Why is this important?

South Western Railway is the first Train Operating Company to propose making significant cuts to services which could have a devastating impact on jobs of rail workers who have been on the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis.
SWR’s consultation proposes cutting:

• A total of 13 per cent of high peak trains per hour to London
• A total of 14 per cent of Off-peak trains per hour to London
• A total of 14 per cent of Main Suburban AM peak trains per hour to London
• A total of 14 per cent of Main Suburban off peak trains per hour to London
These cuts to services are regressive and entirely short-sighted. In the year that the UK hosts vital climate talks at COP26 cutting rail services is sending a terrible message that public transport is expendable and not part of the solution to the climate crisis.

These service cuts are a Government-led cost-cutting exercise to reduce services and ultimately jobs on the railways following the financial support the Government was forced to provide to keep key workers and vital food and medical supplies moving during the Covid-19 crisis and it is now passengers and essential railway workers, who have been on the frontline of the pandemic, that are being targeted to pay the price.

Instead of the short-termism of cutting rail services and jobs, the Government should be making a historic mass investment in our railways to ensure we have the future capacity, capability and workforce to provide the viable and affordable alternative to cars. These cuts to services will only serve to drive more people into their cars and onto our already congested roads.

Little George St, London SW1P 3BD, UK

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Updates

2021-09-13 16:20:03 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2021-09-08 17:07:38 +0100

500 signatures reached

2021-09-08 09:47:08 +0100

100 signatures reached

2021-09-08 09:29:45 +0100

50 signatures reached

2021-09-08 09:25:32 +0100

25 signatures reached

2021-09-08 09:24:01 +0100

10 signatures reached